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Organization of American States

Organization of American States. Human Trafficking from Latin America to Western Europe: A Plan for Cooperation. Friday, July 15, 2005 ARGO Programme European Commission Directorate-General Justice, Freedom and Security. The Concept.

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Organization of American States

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  1. Organization of American States

  2. Human Trafficking from Latin America to Western Europe:A Plan for Cooperation Friday, July 15, 2005 ARGO Programme European Commission Directorate-General Justice, Freedom and Security

  3. The Concept • The OAS has initiated two parallel anti-trafficking ARGO proposals. • The first is a cooperation in Spain Portugal and Italy (SPI). • The second encompasses Austria, Germany and Switzerland (AGS). • Both projects share a common timetable, aims and expected results. • The two proposals would come together during the project at the trainings, which will be explained in more detail later.

  4. The Nature of the Problem

  5. The Need for More Cooperation on Human Trafficking from Latin America to Europe Latin American Trafficking Victims in Europe are significant and vulnerable: • Europe focused on the East • Increasing irregular migration to Europe • Sizeable victim numbers, but still a minority • Preliminary research suggests victims missed • Weakness of Latin American official presence • Geographic distance hinders cooperation

  6. Survey of Information on Latin American Trafficking Victims in Selected European Countries: Spain Portugal Italy Austria Germany Switzerland

  7. Spain Unofficial Data on THB victims identified by the authorities: Commercial Sexual ExploitationForced Labor ● 2001 795 904 ● 2002 1,445 3,459 ● 2003 1,527 6,457 From the Comisaria General de Extranjeria y Documentacion

  8. Spain According to the Ministry of Interior, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Dominican Republic stand out as source countries for migration to Spain. The data represents current legal residents: ● Colombia: 115, 3019 ● Ecuador: 71, 238 ● Peru: 39, 013 ●Dominican Republic: 29, 300 (SOPEMI, 2003)

  9. Spain • Latin American migration was consolidated in the 1980s and is predicated on historical connections between Spain and its former colonies. • It is estimated that 62% of immigrants who come to Spain are women, a majority who arrive as individual travelers. • A fifth of Ecuador’s labor supply is estimated to be in Spain. • Approximately one of 200 Dominicans lives in Spain (Valiente, 2003) • According to Ministry of Labor illegal immigrants from Latin America represented half of the total immigrants seeking regularization under the recent amnesty. • Heuni, a UN affiliated research institute, estimates of 4000-8500 THB victims are brought into Spain annually and that 65% of these victims come from Latin America.

  10. Spain

  11. Portugal The scale of the problem is not known in its entirety reflecting a need for better academic study: • Portugal is prime country of destination for Brazilian migrants, currently they compose 11% of 191,000 legal immigrants (SOPEMI 2001) • Latin American victims of crime are the third largest group to whom APAV ( Portuguese Association for Victim Assistance) lends its services. • Brazilian women are especially vulnerable, as they account for 18.5% of total female victims awarded assistance by APAV in 2004.

  12. Portugal • Portugal shares a historic and former colonial relationship with Brazil that contributes to a sustained migration. • In 2001, a total of 23,500 Brazilians were calculated to be present in Portugal. However, it is likely that this number does not accurately reflect how many Brazilians are in Portugal. • A study carried out by HEUNI stated that the problem is not adequately studied in Portugal but that it is an important transit country for the rest of Europe. HEUNI claims 75,000 Brazilian women were trafficked in a period of a few years.

  13. Portugal Human Trafficking is increasing Recent journalist report: From Jornal de Noticias The topic needs greater development and study in Portugal, more cases need to be reported also. Adopting a hotline to report cases is a possibility. Human trafficking is a global phenomenon whose dimensions are not yet fully understood and that renders enormous profits. “In Portugal it is in great expansion”, alerted Santos Pais, a member of the Cabinet for Foreign Relations, Europe, and Cooperation (GRIEC) of the Ministry of Justice at a seminar on the topic at the Almeida Garret Library.

  14. Italy Italian Government TIP Data on Victims from Latin America: Italian government estimates that 70,000 victims of trafficking are present in the country. Colombians: 124 (mainly working as prostitutes on the streets) 2.1% of all victims of year 2001.

  15. Italy Persons Vulnerable to Trafficking from Latin America: Repatriations and Denied Entries (Jan. - Oct. 2003): South American 2,265 Ecuador 649 Brazil 573 Colombia 425 Peru 211 Bolivia 158 Venezuela 86

  16. Italy Persons Vulnerable to Trafficking: Repatriations and Denied Entries (Jan. - Oct. 2003): Caribbean and Central America 274 Dominican Republic 133 Cuba 74 Jamaica 14 Others 53

  17. Italy • In 2000 Latin Americans composed 8 % of total foreigners according to the Ministry of Interior. • Peruvians accounted for the largest group calculated at 31, 115 in 2003 (ISMU - Fundazione Iniziative E Studi Sulla Multietnicita). • Brazilians were the second largest migratory group at 19, 277 (IOM). • Heuni estimates that 2,500-5000 victims are trafficked annually into Italy. • According to ISMU there has been very little research in Italy that examines the nature of this problem.

  18. Austria • Over 300 Dominican victims of THB were freed in Austria in 2003. • According to a Parliamentary Inquiry on August 4, 2004, there were 236 official victims of THB in Austria in 2003. The total number of victims was less, therefore, than the number of Dominican victims alone. • Heuni estimated in their 2004 report that 10% of all trafficking victims in Austria came from Latin America.

  19. Austria Austrian Government Data on THB Victims and Traffickers: 2003 -- 236 (233 women) victims identified 2003 -- 214 Traffickers arrested

  20. Austria Austrian NGO (LEFOE) Trafficking Data related to Latin America: 2003 -- assisted 415 women, many from DR, Venezuela, Chile 2002 -- assisted 208 women 2001 -- assisted 183 women

  21. Germany • NGO & government data diverge significantly on the magnitude of THB from Latin America: 6.8% vs. 2.4% respectively • According to the TV Broadcaster ZDF, the majority of women in prostitution in Frankfurt are from Latin America. 30% from Colombia and 26% from Dom. Rep alone • 29,000 Brazilians and over 10,000 Colombians live in Germany. 1,000 of these persons did not have legal status and ca. 150 LA citizens were repatriated

  22. Germany German Government Trafficking Data related to Latin America: 2000 -- 16 victims (5 traffickers) 2001 -- 24 victims (3 traffickers) 2002 -- 11 victims (4 traffickers) 2003 -- 16 victims (5 traffickers)

  23. Germany German NGOs Trafficking Data related to Latin America: In 1999 -- 80 Victims (Official Victims 8) In 2000 -- 80 Victims (Official Victims 16) In 2001 -- 99 Victims (Official Victims 24)

  24. Germany

  25. Switzerland • FEDPOL estimated in 2002 that up to 3,000 prostitutes could be victims of THB • NGOs reported that 26% of known THB victims in Switzerland were from Latin America for 2002 • This would equate to an estimated 2,100 Latin American victims of THB in Switzerland • Ca. 70% of all Brazilians and Ecuadorians in Switzerland were female in December 2002

  26. Switzerland Swiss Government Official THB Data: Victims Accused Traffickers 1997 71 81 1998 69 119 1999 88 138 2000 75 105

  27. Switzerland

  28. Proposal for Collaboration: Combating Human Trafficking from Latin America to Europe

  29. Proposal: Geographic Coverage To Link Six destination countries in Western Europe with five countries of origin in Latin America: • Spain, Portugal and Italy (SPI); Austria, Germany and Switzerland (AGS) • Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Peru

  30. Proposal: Partners The project represents a partnership of EU national authorities, European-based NGOs and the OAS: • Two European National Authorities: One each from the SPI and AGS regions • NGOs: One each in all six European countries • Organization of American States

  31. Proposal: Action The action of the project is to collect better information on trafficking victims in Europe and use the information to shape better policy on both sides of the Atlantic: • Six European destination country reports on trafficking from Latin America • Five training seminars in Latin American sending countries that begin policy coordination • Continued policy engagement advocated by the OAS in partnership with European and Latin American officials

  32. Proposal: Six Country Reports The Country Reports will bring forth better information on numbers and treatment of victims, trafficking patterns, and repatriation: • A partner NGO will research in each European destination country in collaboration with local authorities • OAS will publish the reports in collaboration with partners • Information will form the basis of five training seminars in the Latin American countries of origin

  33. Proposal: Five Training Seminars The OAS will organize one international training seminar in Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Peru: • European officials and NGOs will take part and share research information on victims and counter-trafficking best practices • The seminars will be used to create a regular dialog between officials of both continents • OAS will urge policy changes with Latin American governments based on the information • OAS will maintain the policy engagement

  34. Thank you for your attention.

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